The Myrciaria dubia, an exotic fruit grown in Bolivia commonly known as camu-camu, has proven effective in preventing obesity in mice, which gives doctors hope to be able to use it to fight this and other metabolic diseases, says a study published in the medical journal Gut.
Researchers from two universities in Canada subjected a group of rodents to a diet rich in fats and sugars for eight weeks and another one (a control group) to a diet with a low content of these substances. Half of the mice in the first group were given camu-camu extract daily, while the other half did not.
Eventually, the individuals fed with the fruit gained 50% less weight than the mice that had not ingested the extract, and their weight gain profile was similar to that of the control group.
Exceptional composition
The effects could be related to the exceptional chemical composition of this food, which contains 20 to 30 times more vitamin C than kiwi and five times more polyphenols than blackberries. "In previous projects, we have shown the beneficial effects of certain small fruits rich in polyphenols," says André Marett, co-author of the study.
Source: elpais.bo
